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calorie tips

How Many Calories Top Your Ice Cream Sundae?

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Do You Like Your Ice Cream Naked Or With Toppings?

Sometimes there’s nothing better than an ice cream sundae. Sundaes can be made with just about anything and I freely admit that my favorite part is the stuff you put on top of ice cream, not the ice cream itself.

So Many Choices

You can put just about anything on ice cream.  Perhaps broccoli or smoked salmon isn’t your choice, but somebody, somewhere in the world, has probably gotten very creative with ice cream toppings.

Toppings Can Add A Mountain Of Calories

The standard fare:  toppings like hot fudge, whipped cream, peanuts, walnuts in syrup, crushed heath bar, caramel sauce – can all add hundreds of calories to your sundae.  For instance:

  • Smucker’s Spoonable Hot Fudge Topping:  2tbsp, 140 calories, 4g fat, 24g carbs, 2g protein
  • Smucker’s Spoonable Ice Cream Topping Pecans in Syrup Topping:  1tbsp, 170 calories, 10g fat, 20g carbs, 1g protein
  • Regular Redi Whip:  2tbsp, 20 calories, 2g fat, 1g carbs
  • Cool Whip, extra creamy:  2tbsp, 32 calories
  • Regular M&M’s:  10 pieces,103 calories, 5.2g fat, 12.1g carbs, 1.9g protein
  • Peanut M&M’s:  about 16 pieces, 200 calories, 10.15g fat, 23.48g carbs, 3.72g protein
  • Peanuts (1oz): 160 calories, 14g fat, 5g carbs, 7g protein

Some Stand-bys Are Lower In Calories

  • Rainbow Sprinkles (Mr. Sprinkles):  1 tsp, 20 calories, 0.5g fat, 3g carbs, 0g protein
  • Chocolate Sprinkles (jimmies):  1 tbsp, 35 calories, 0g fat, 6g carbs, 0g protein
  • Smucker’s Spoonable Ice Cream Topping, Light Hot Fudge, Fat Free:  2 tbs, 90 calories, 23g carbs, 2g protein
  • 10 mini marshmallows:  22 calories, 0 fat, 5.7g carbs, .1g protein
  • 18 gummi bears: 140 calories, 0 fat, 43.5g carbs, 0 protein

Think Outside The Box For Lower Calorie Choices

The world is your oyster in terms of toppings.  Why not fruit, cereal, or a crushed up 100 calorie pack of anything? Here are some other suggestions:

  • Smucker’s Spoonable Pineapple Topping:  2 tbsp, 100 calories, 0g fat
  • Regular Redi Whip:  2 tbsp, 20 calories, 2g fat, 1g carbs
  • Fat Free Redi Whip:  2 tbsp, 5 calories, 0g fat, 1g carbs
  • Cool whip, light:  2 tbsp, 16 calories
  • Cool Whip, fat-free:  2 tbsp, 15 calories, 43.5g carbs, 0 protein
  • 1 mini box of raisins (.5 oz):  42 calories, 0.1g fat, 11.1g carbs, 0.4g protein
  • One medium banana: 105 calories, 0 fat, 27g carbs, 1g protein
  • One cup strawberry halves: 49 calories, 0.5g fat, 11.7g carbs, 1g protein
  • Sugar-free Jello pudding:  60 calories
  • One cup Froot Loops:  118 calories, 0.6g fat, 26.7g carbs, 1.4g protein
  • One cup blueberries:  83 calories,  0.5g fat, 21g carbs, 1.1g protein
  • Crushed pretzel sticks, 1 oz:  110 calories, 1g fat, 23g carbs, 3g protein

Margarita Or Mojito? Is There A Difference In Calories?

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Mid-August.  Time for vacation – and if not vacation, certainly some relaxing outdoor time, maybe with drink in hand.

Could a nice cold (or frozen) margarita or mojito be your drink of choice?  You might opt to go with the tequila, citrus, and salt flavors of a magarita or the rum, lime, and mint flavors of a mojito — but is there a caloric and alcoholic content difference (alcohol has 7 calories a gram) between the two?

Calories And Grams Of Alcohol In A Margarita And A Mojito

Remember to look at the serving size.  The stats given below are for 3.3 and 3.5 ounces – visualize the amount in a little more than two average sized (1.5 oz.) shot glasses.  A whole lot of drinks are served in much larger glasses.  They are the nutritional values for traditional margaritas and mojitos  — without embellishments.

  • Margarita (3.3 fluid oz. cocktail glass):   153 calories, 0g fat, 7g carbs, 4.3g sugars, 583 mg sodium, 0.2g protein, 17.7g alcohol
  • Mojito — without soda water or mint garnish (3.5 fluid oz. old fashioned glass):  149 calories, 0g fat, 5.8g carbs, 4.5g sugars, 1mg sodium, 0.1g protein, 17.9g alcohol

Peanut, Almond, Peanut Butter Or Plain M&M’s: Which Would You Choose?

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On a road trip?  Stuck in an airport?   Is a vending machine calling your name?

You’ve decided you need a snack.  Decision made:  it’s going to be candy – and it’s going to be M&M’s.  Afterall, M7M’s mean melt in your mouth, not in your hand – and who wants melted chocolate all over the steering wheel or suitcase or the mess of papers on your desk?

Why Were M&M’s Made?

M&M’s, around since 1941, were actually designed so people could enjoy their chocolate without it melting in their hands. Named after the inventors Forrest Mars and R. Bruce Murrie (haven’t you always wondered where  M&M came from?), they were introduced to GIs in World War II, flew into space in 1982, and have been part of space shuttle missions since then.

Choices, Choices

M&M’s now come in a whole bunch of varieties and seasonal colors.  But — when you’re staring at the array of colorful M&M packages, your hands itching to tear open the wrapper and pop some into your mouth, which would you choose:  plain, almond, or peanut, or peanut butter?

Of course the purists might say there is no choice other than plain.  But, since there are choices, are there some potentially redeeming nutritional benefits to adding nuts under the chocolate and candy coating?  Do some varieties have more protein or fewer calories or more fat?  Take a look at the nutritional information – maybe it’ll help you with your choice. (Note that the package weight of the different varieties is not identical but very close).

  • Plain milk chocolate M&M’s (1.69oz package):  240 calories, 10g fat (6 saturated), 34g total carbs, 1g fiber, 2g protein
  • Dark chocolate M&M’s (1.5oz package):  210 calories, 10g fat (6g saturated), 29g total carbs, 2g fiber, 2g protein
  • Peanut M&M’s (1.74oz package):  250 calories, 13g fat (5g saturated), 30g total carbs, 2g fiber, 5g protein
  • Almond M&M’s (1.5oz package):  220 calories, 12g fat (4g saturated), 25g total carbs, 2g fiber, 3g protein
  • Peanut butter M&M’s 1.5oz package:  220 calories, 12g fat (4g saturated), 25g total carbs, 2g fiber, 3g protein

Another Big Reason To Up Your Daily (Soluble) Fiber

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Fat is fat.  Right??? Wrong!!!  It turns out that even though most of us hate the way it looks, the fat right under the skin, called subcutaneous fat, isn’t as dangerous as the fat deep in the belly, called visceral fat, that surrounds your organs.

A study, published in the journal Obesity, of 1,114 African Americans and Hispanic Americans — population groups disproportionally at higher risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes and for accumulating visceral fat — identified some simple ways to zero in on and reduce visceral fat. They are:

  • eat more vegetables high in soluble fiber
  • eat more fruit and beans
  • make sure you engage in moderate activity.

Why Is Visceral Fat So Dangerous?

According to the study’s lead researcher, “a higher rate of visceral fat is associated with high blood pressure, diabetes and fatty liver disease.” The results of the study showed there can be a big health impact from making the few simple changes listed above.

The researchers found that visceral fat was reduced by 3.7% over five years for every 10 gram increase in soluble fiber the subjects ate per day. Over the same time period, an increase in moderate physical activity resulted in a 7.4% decrease in the rate of visceral fat accumulation. Interestingly, the increased intake of soluble fiber was associated with a decreased accumulated visceral fat but not with decreased subcutaneous fat.

What You Can Do

You can get 10 grams of soluble fiber from eating two small apples, one cup of green peas, and half a cup of pinto beans.  Moderate activity as defined in the study is exercising vigorously for 30 minutes, two to four times a week.

Although the evidence shows that eating more soluble fiber and increasing exercise reduces visceral or belly fat, researchers still don’t know why. That’s why a study like this is so important – it gives specific information on how dietary fiber, especially soluble fiber, can affect abdominal fat deposits and weight.

Buy Me Some Peanuts And Cracker Jacks

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Happy Summer!  Baseball season is in full swing and so are visits to amusement parks.  What do you usually do at these places – other than watch the game, ride the roller coaster? EAT, of course!

Oh, the food!  Oh the calories!  Hang on – this post is not about ignoring the good time food.  Of course, there are always healthy food options:  you can bring your own or be scrupulous in making healthy choices. But honestly, do you think that most people really want to eat low calorie foods when they’re at a ballgame or amusement park? No way.

So what do you do when you’re at these places with food vendors about every 20 feet hawking dogs, ice cream, and beer?

There Are Ways And Then There Are Ways

If you’ve got a will of iron, I guess you could ignore the food and drinks.  But if you’re like most people and you’re tempted at every turn, you can try to minimize the damage without taking out the fun.  If you know you’re going to be having a stadium or food court meal, do some thinking, planning, and learning.  The best choices are not always the obvious ones.

Do you need both peanuts and popcorn?  Can you make do with a regular hot dog instead of a foot-long?  Can you keep it to one or two beers instead of three?  Can you choose the small popcorn instead of the jumbo tub?

Make Your Best Choice

Here’s some info to help you make your best choice.  Just a heads up – we’re not talking about the most nutritious choice because given these foods, quality nutrition is not front and center.  You can, however, enjoy your day and make the best caloric choice (with a nod to fat and sugar content) and still eat traditional ballpark and amusement park food.

  • Cotton Candy: Nothing but heated and colored sugar that’s spun into threads with added air. Cotton candy on a stick or wrapped around a paper cone (about an ounce) has around 105 calories; a 2oz. bag (common size) has 210. A lot of sugar, but not a lot of calories – albeit empty ones.
  • Cracker Jack (officially cracker jack, not jacks): candy-coated popcorn with some peanuts. A 3.5oz stadium size box has 420 calories but does have 7g  protein and 3.5g fiber.
  • Hamburger: 6oz. of beef with a bun has about 490 calories — without cheese or other toppings — which up the ante.
  • Grilled Chicken Sandwich, 6oz.: 280 calories – not a bad choice.  6oz. of chicken tenders clock in at 446 calories.  Barbecue dipping sauce adds 30 calories a tablespoon.
  • Hot Dog: Most sold out stadiums can sell 16,000 hot dogs a day. A regular hot dog with mustard has about 290 calories: 180 for the 2oz. dog, 110 for the bun, zilch for regular yellow mustard. Two tbs. sauerkraut adds another 5-10 calories, 2 tbs. ketchup adds 30, and 2 tbs. relish another 40. A Nathan’s hot dog racks up 320 calories; a foot-long Hebrew National 510 calories. Hot dogs are usually loaded with sodium.
  • Pizza: Stadium pizza is larger than a usual slice, about 1/6 of a 16-inch pie (instead of 1/8) making it about 435 calories a slice.
  • Super Nachos with Cheese: A 12oz. serving (40 chips, 4oz. cheese) has about 1,500 calories!!! Plain French fries look like a caloric bargain by comparison.
  • French Fries: A large serving has about 500 calories. A serving of Hardee’s chili cheese fries has 700 calories and 350 of them come from fat.
  • Potato Chips:  One single serving bag has 153 calories (94 of them from fat).
  • Peanuts in the Shell: What would a baseball game be without a bag of peanuts? Stadiums can sell as many as 6,000 bags on game days. An 8oz. bag has 840 calories; a 12oz. bag has 1,260. Yes, they have some protein and fiber.  But wow on the calories.
  • Soft Pretzel: One large soft pretzel has 483 calories – giant soft pretzels (7-8oz.) have about 700 calories.
  • Draft Beer: A stadium draft beer, 20oz. cup, the usual size, has about 240 calories. A light draft saves you 60 calories.
  • Coca Cola:  A 12oz can: 140 calories –- and close to 10 tsp. of sugar.
  • Helmet Ice Cream: Your team’s mini-helmet filled with swirly Carvel, 550-590 calories.
  • Souvenir Popcorn: At Yankee Stadium a jumbo size has 1,484 calories and a souvenir bucket has 2,473 calories.

Sources:

http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition
http://www.active.com/nutrition/
http://www.drweigh.com/blog/